The Top 5 Smartphone Games

Mobile gaming has grown from humble beginning, to become something grander. We go through our choices for the top 5 smartphone games available, on both Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, and iOS devices like the iPhone 5s. There’s Angry Birds! There’s a couple of ports from other platforms! There’s action and adventure, and heartbreak, and epic wins! This is mobile gaming at its very best.

It’s a mark of how important mobile gaming has become that big publishers like EA and Ubisoft have entered the playing field, but then, the modern mobile gaming arena is vastly different to the days when Snake ruled the roost.

Once upon a time, simple mobile games were the order of the day, and while such games do still exist (and are downloaded in vast numbers every day), mobile gaming has become capable of so much more, with huge experiences that totally immerse you in the game’s world.

Both types of game are brilliant, but only a handful of mobile games can be heralded as legitimate modern classics, the best of the best. Let’s take a look at the top 5 smartphone games that we think fit the bill perfectly…

1) Angry Birds

At this point, who doesn’t know about Angry Birds? As a perfect example of how something can be simple and yet really hard to master (and it doesn’t use high-end 3D graphics, so it will be just as at home on a Moto G as it is on, say, a Sony Xperia Z2), Angry Birds has to be the zenith of so-called “casual” games.

2) Minecraft – Pocket Edition

Speaking ofinfinity blade legitimate social phenomenons, we come to the next game on this list, the slice of creative brilliance that is Minecraft, the Pocket Edition of which is available on Android phones. Combining all the brilliance of building whatever you want (and running away quickly from creepers) with a new UI optimised to work on touchscreens, Minecraft is a definite modern classic.

2) The Infinity Blade series

We move from a game that’s exclusive to Android, to a series that’s exclusive to iOS devices like the iPhone 5s, namely the Infinity Blade series. As for why it’s on this list, the answer is simple: Infinity Blade is easily one the most gorgeous mobile games ever made.

4) XCOM: Enemy Unknown

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is, quite simply, one of the best games ever released on any platform, whether it be on PC, console or mobile. It originally debuted on iOS devices, but has now invaded Android, bringing its famous (or infamous) brand of relentlessly brutal, turn-based action with it. The plot is simple (aliens have invaded, steal their stuff and stomp on them), the gameplay is really unforgiving, and the experience of playing it, in short, nigh on perfect. We’d advice playing on a top-end phone, though, something like the Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8, as it’s a direct port of the PC version, so the graphics can get a little bit processor-intensive.

It’s let down only by a slightly weak ending to the story, but the same cannot be said of the final game on this list…

5) The Walking Dead – Season One

Many people have seen The Walking Dead TV show, but not everyone knows it’s based on a comic book. Well The Walking Dead game is based on the comics, and as anyone who has played it will know what a deeply emotional and affecting experience the whole thing is. In fact, this author was left in tears, utterly heartbroken in the best way possible, by the climax to the (very mature) story. The Walking Dead also features one of the best characters in gaming history, in the shape of Clementine, the little girl to whom you become a father figure. You will adore Clem, trust us on this.

Basically, what we’re saying is that The Walking Dead is not just a great game that you should buy. It’s a masterpiece, that you need to own.

And there we have what we think are the top 5 smartphone games you can have on a mobile device. Of course, a new game could come out that pushes one of these off the list (but not The Walking Dead, because that is a modern masterpiece that will never be topped in terms of emotional impact), but for now, these are the best of the best!